Install
Tools
Geospatial & location analytics
9 tools compared: how each is priced, where it runs, and what to consider instead.
| Tool | Pricing model | Free tier | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARTO Cloud-native location intelligence platform that runs spatial analysis directly inside cloud data warehouses. | Usage-based | No | No |
| Esri ArcGIS Industry-standard GIS platform spanning desktop, server and cloud products for mapping, spatial analysis and enterprise geodata. | Quote only | No | No |
| Felt Collaborative, browser-based mapping tool for teams to build, share and co-edit maps without GIS software. | Free tier + paid | Yes | No |
| Google Earth Engine Cloud platform for planetary-scale satellite imagery analysis, free for research and paid through Google Cloud for commercial use. | Free tier + paid | Yes | No |
| kepler.gl Open-source, browser-based tool for visually exploring and animating large geospatial datasets without writing code. | Open source + paid | No | Yes |
| Mapbox Developer mapping platform providing customizable maps, navigation and location APIs billed on a pay-as-you-go basis. | Usage-based | Yes | No |
| Placer.ai Foot-traffic and location analytics platform using mobile location data rather than mapping software, for retail and real estate. | Free tier + paid | Yes | No |
| PostGIS Open-source spatial extension for PostgreSQL adding geographic objects, spatial indexing and GIS query functions. | Open source + paid | No | Yes |
| QGIS Free, open-source desktop GIS application for spatial data viewing, editing, analysis and cartographic map production. | Open source + paid | No | Yes |